


The Chulanont Conundrum

by IllyasJames



Series: Happy Ever After [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Family, Friendship, M/M, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:52:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllyasJames/pseuds/IllyasJames
Summary: Maya and Phichit will do anything for the people they care about.Even get themselves into trouble.





	1. To get the party started

**Author's Note:**

> This story became a bit longer than planned and after going over it I decided to cut it in half.   
> So the first part is for today, and the second half will be up tomorrow.

The Chulanont Conundrum

Maya looks at the two messages the hotel clerk just delivered to her room. The first was one she expected; her brother had been planning a visit to his best friend for months now. It was the second one that had her scratching her head.

Maya had only gone to the Heavenly Kingdom for a short trip to pick up some fabrics she was planning to use for her upcoming collection. Their silks were just so delicate she wanted to get her hands on it, but like with everything else it was heavily guarded and she feared she was out of luck in convincing her contact to let her take some home with her. 

So to receive a summon to come to the Forbidden Palace was a bit scary. She, like everyone else, had heard the stories of the people going in but never again coming out of that place. Plus she could not remember meeting anyone with the name He Li Zhou Bai Hai, that is if she read the symbols correctly. So them declaring themselves her friend was unsettling twice over. 

She decides to send a quick message to her brother to tell him to have fun and to let the clerk know she accepts the invite of this mysterious He li Zhou Bai Hai. It's not like she's really in a situation to refuse. 

The next day she finds a small three people escort waiting for her to take her to the Palace with them. It surprises her that although two are in full on guard mode the third could pass as her assistant. At first she thinks the girl is going to work as a translator but gives up when it becomes clear they speak neither Thai or any of the other seven languages Maya has learned over the years. 

Moving through the city she can spot several westerners ogling their little group. It takes her less time than she would need to spot a fashion faux pas to understand these are not tourists. She leans over and pretends to be in a serious conversation with the girl that looks like her assistance, wondering if that was the reason she was there to begin with. The girl acts along, so she must have guessed right.

Upon entering the Palace through the first gate Maya is struck by how big it all is, so much history all around her and not enough time to even see a smidgen of it as she is quickly moved along from the one guard to the next till she finally arrives at what looks like somebodies personal room. 

The guard knock on the door and after some voice from within calls back the door is opened and Maya is pushed in. 

There to her amazement is a person she knows all to well.

“Elisabetha Nikiforova! I can say without a doubt you were the last person I expected to find here.” her grin widens at seeing her friend just leaned back and relaxed on what appears to be a bed. 

“How could you not?” Liza smiles, “I even signed the note with my name.” 

Maya finally pieces it together that if you say those symbols one after another out load fairly fast it would sound like her friends name indeed. It still does not explain how she was here though. 

Liza jumps up and runs over giving Maya a big hug. 

“I'm so glad you could come. When I heard you were in the city I knew I could count on you to help me out.” 

“What did you do that requires my assistance this time?” They are only a few months apart in age but at times like this Maya feels almost like a mother to the younger girl.

“Nothing serious. Just that I managed to become friends with the Heavenly Empress, I'm on the verge to strike a deal that is quite beneficial for Rus, and the press can not spot me leaving the Palace as the negotiations with Nihon are at their most precarious point right now.” Liza has an anxious look on her face that makes her friend look so much older than seventeen. 

“Alright. You are lucky that I was here at all, but I spotted them when we were moving towards the Palace so I am certain you have a point.” Her hand is up before Lia can hug her. “I also assume this means we are to have you sneak out with me pretending to be that fake assistance I had come in with me?” Liza nods.

“Okay.” Maya sighs. “I'm getting week in my old age, only a week have I been eighteen now and just see what it does to me.” 

“Please don't worry. I am certain I can convince Bai Chen to compensate you for your trouble.” Liza's hand moves over the pendant she is wearing. “She might not share my inclinations but she has become a very good friend.”

Maya smiles softly. A small cough makes her look at the richly dressed Court Lady to whom the room they are in must actually belong. Liza's smile tells her that this lady is indeed special to her friend. 

“Maya, may I introduce Xiulan. She is the Highest of Bai Chen's court Ladies and a very dear friend of mine.” 

Xiulan steps forward to greet Maya. “I am honored to meet one who is equally as dear to Liza as I think I am.” 

Seeing no harm Maya simply laughs. “As much as my brother and I have a thing for being in the proximity of heart breakers, we are never one to be close enough to fall for them. We love our sanity too much. I am glad to see that she has found one dear to her here, as I had heard the duties posed on the court ladies are strict ones.” 

“They are.” Xiulan nods, “then I will simply thank you for the help you will provide her with. Know that I was permitted to give you anything in compensation you might require for this aid.” 

Maya gets her biggest grin of the day. “So if I would ask for yards of your finest silk in every color of the rainbow to be delivered to my studio back in Thai that would be done?” 

“If that is all you request consider it already taken care off.” Xiulan snaps her fingers and two other people Maya had yet to notice leave the room to take care of the request. 

“Now as to get Liza out of here. Where did that fake assistant go. We will need her clothes.” 

Less than an hour later one of the eager press snaps a picture of upcoming Fashion designer Phitsamai Chulanont and her no-name assistant leave the Palace and be driven straight to the closest airport. 

There they board a private plane to Thai that is already fueled and waiting for them. 

“Why are you turning so pale?” Maya leans over to Liza. “You normally like flying.” 

Liza smiles. “Oh, I do. But it seems the little one is not as fond of it as me.” 

~

Phichit is put in quite a spot, having only just arrived and now it seems his intent to spend a month with his friend is all but lost. Yuuri looks like he's more in the mood to toss himself off of the highest cliff than to show his friend a good time. And he can't blame him.

“I am more appalled than anything else they think making you marry is actually a good idea. What about love?” He looks around the room.

“In truth very little people can marry out of love in Nihon. I've just been lucky to have been around many that were fortunate enough to choose their own fate.” Yuuri drops on his back. “But with as little choice that I have, I rather travel to Rus than to step into a loveless marriage. At least in Rus I could maybe build up a career. Even if it means seeing Victor marry right in front of me.” 

It is seeing his friend so down that makes him decide to ask around, see if maybe he can find some way around this all. Both get pulled form their thoughts when Hiroko knocks on Yuuri's door and informs them they just got the notice. They are to report in Nara in two days, so she went and got Yuuri some clothes as were ordered for him to wear.” 

She leaves the pile of clothes and the paper work on his desk for inspection. Yuuri's mood sours even more. Leaving Phichit to try and cheer his friend up, if only he could go along. He was certain he could help Yuuri keep his mind off of the whole situation and maybe even find some joy while there. They talk till Mari calls them down for dinner and by then a plan has formed. 

“If you will, I must ask to be excused I have just thought of an errand that I need to do. Please keep my dinner for me, I'm sure to eat it upon my return.” He runs out before anyone can stop him.

Yuuko looks up from the book she is reading, having finally found some personal time due to her husband taking the triplets out to see is parents, when the knocking on her door becomes to loud to ignore much longer. 

Seeing Phichit grin at her when she opens it was not what she expected, he looks way too cheerful for it to be an emergency. She allows him in only because a small voice in the back of her mind says her that whatever for he might be here it could only have something to do with Yuuri, and for Yuuri she would do nearly anything.

“Am I right that you as the last born name carrier of the house of Toyomura might have some swing to get the right ears to listen?” 

Yuuko sits down. “That may be the case but even I don't have enough swing to allow Yuuri to stay here without a wife on his arm. So I can't see how I could help you.” 

“Do you have enough swing to have me permitted to come along on the trip to Rus though?” 

It takes a moment for Phichit's request to fully filter into her brain, when it does though she starts grinning as a kid that just found out candy is real and available.” 

“I might know which ear to whisper to, and even which are in need of some yelling.” Yuuko stands up. “Make yourself comfortable though, these could be some long calls.” 

Sure enough it takes her several hours, at one point Phichit even had to call Celestino to have him send his credentials over to one of Yuuko's contacts, but with less than an hour to spare to Midnight he is all set to go along on the trip to Rus. It is then and only then that Yuuko remembers she at no point at all that evening had offered him anything to eat. 

“Do not worry about it. Mama Hiroko has my dinner set aside for me, so I am sure to be filled aplenty before bed.” Phcihit grabs Yuuko's hands. “I am indebted to you. One day though I will hear of how you and the Princess Vasilia know one another.” 

Yuuko just smiles. “Maybe. One day.”

~

Maya receives the call to come to Rus only a day after her Paris show has been lauded with praise in the world press. Her assistant is surprised to find out that Maya had all her luggage ready to go even before that. 

“This show was my last show situated in Paris dear, you knew that.” Maya smiles, “and Rus is only a small detour on my way back to Thai.” 

At the farewell party, seated between her former classmates, she is called one of the greatest talents of their generation. She accepts the praise as it is given, having her mind on other affairs. Soon these former colleagues and friends will become her adversaries for the spots in shows and fashion magazines, most are already planning their strategy to take her down. She won't let them.

“One thing though?” Her greatest rival leans forward. “What is true about that funny story that you used actual Heavenly Kingdom silk in your finally piece? After all there has never been a moment they allowed that to be exported.” 

“Well simple.” Maya smiles. “When you are friends with diplomats you know how to negotiate.” 

She puts her empty glass on the table and bids all goodnight and may the fashion gods smile brightly on those deserving their fortune.

~

Once in Nara it doesn't take Phichit long to get all the information he needs. Nao might not be able to give him the full rundown of the schedule yet, she was able to confirm that there would be ample amounts of time for Yuuri to have some leave of his duties here and there. 

When the three ladies share a look between them that remind him of the one he can share with his younger siblings before mischief is pulled he decides not to comment on it. After all there is enough time to figure out what is going on with these young women. 

During the trip to Italia he and Yuuri share a bunk with several other people, they can't speak to honestly about their thoughts but at least they can teach several of the kitchen aides some card games their old teacher had taught them while they were supposed to be studying. 

The train to the port in Germania had not been much better. It had made so much noise no one had been able to sleep for even a second on the decrepit vehicle, but when he is assigned to share his bunk with a Nihon scribe and the emissary Germania sends along, Phichit's certain that this prince Naozane might have it in for Yuuri. 

Ono Kei is clearly ordered to brief everything they say over to the Princes and Claus was by all accounts a pleaser. It just meant that Phihit had to keep up his professional face all the time and that was getting to his mood. It did not help that Claus clearly had no feel for the situation and kept spewing the one after the other gossip he had gotten from the magazines his mother degraded herself -- as he called it – into reading. 

He managed to get alone with Yuuri three times on the boat from Germania to Rus, never long enough to be of much use to his friends mood.

When he is also put in the same carriage as them once in Rus he is certain that he is deliberately being held from Yuuri. Luckily it seems that in the hour they had been apart Claus had managed to pick up some pieces of information, except is sounded nothing like the information Phichit had gathered from both Yuuko, and his sister's correspondence. Wisely though he decides not to share. 

~

Maya arrives at the Palace with all her bags, and then some. Having friends in high places is one thing but the magic they can perform is simply amazing. Just the other day she had received a card asking her to make a detour on her detour. So instead of boarding a flight directly from Paris to Rus and see a lovely royal wedding, she had been served some tea at a place in Nihon. Her eyes move to the small black bag put carelessly between the rest. It contains an item Phichit had requested from this Yuuko lady, and she could not wait for him to explain what it was. 

~~ part 2 coming tomorrow.


	2. And have the lights go flashing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya has arrived and now it's time to see what those two actually did while being in the care of the house of Rus. 
> 
> How much did they know, and what were their parts in the overall plan to get Yuuri and Victor to the altar together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one needed some cleaning up, turned out that in my original notes I had still listed the old (incorect) timeline.  
> Now after some heavy duty rewriting it at least follows the timeline as it is in Chosen Path. :}

The attendant Georgi had been ever so kind showing her to the room she was to call her own for the duration of her stay, and he even showed her where she could put all of her wardrobe. Getting her to laugh when he informed her why the Princess's dressing rooms were utterly decimated, before leaving her to get more suitably dressed for the weather.

Liza had not lied about her not going to miss too much of dinner, and her friend and brother laying claim on her had been a bit amusing as well. So when she requested Phichit to walk her to her room after dinner all thought it had just been a sister wanting to talk to her brother.

“Now tell me brother, what is it you are scheming? And do not claim you are not. We are of the same blood, and care with equal passion for those we have claimed into our hearts family.”

Phichit sits down. “I knew you'd pick up on it. I blame myself for not linking your friend Liza to the Princess Elisabetha. I should not be surprised though I was when you showed up.”

“Surprised? But I send you a message. It should have been waiting for you in your room upon arriving?” Maya sits down, the dials in her head turning, wondering who to confront over this.

“Oh the note was there. It was your outfit.” Phichit chuckles, he had slipped that note out of sight so fast he doubt Yuuri would have even noticed if he hadn't been so distracted. “You never not check the weather forecast for every place you attend. You knew what to expect. So why the over the top flimsy wear?” 

Maya grins. “To distract people of my luggage of course. Couldn't risk anyone paying too much attention to them now could we?” 

“So you got it?” Phichit leans forward. Maya pulls the small black bag from under the bed and tosses it over to him. 

“Was there ever any doubt?” 

Phichit shakes his head, opening the bag with the biggest grin. He pulls out a small notebook. And two little bags, that to her knowledge contain stamps. 

“Now tell me what these items are.” She stares her older brother down a bit but finds him just smiling at her.

“These item's are going to help us get Yuuri the life he deserves.” Maya's brow moves down. “I have noticed that there is quite some animosity towards him, and I am yet to figure out why exactly. So we are going to poke our noses where they should not go.” 

“Well that seems like the most fun thing to do. And just how would you suggest that to work?” 

Phichit simply grins at her. “You can sew can't you?” 

~

Before the second day has ended Maya has gotten her name out, making the first person from the retinue come to her for a quick fix. The man had not been of a very high rank but he had been chatty enough with the other that had come along. Maya simply did what had been asked and gave no indication she understood the Nihon language spoken. 

~

Phichit found himself moved about around people who were all never in need to be near where the Ladies and Yuuri were, making him see he had been right about his assumption that he was kept separate from his friend. Luckily though they assumed his understanding of Nihon was rudimentary at best so many went off in fast dialects spoken by the nobility. 

Then there was Claus, who was only to stay for the first week, glued to Phichit at every turn. The young man had the habit of opening his mouth at the most frustrating of moments. If he was not boasting about how he had been given the rank to be the emissary to be present to over see this first week went right, he was complaining about how when he was training in Vinland the other's in his year had not given him enough respect. 

When Yuuri told him after the third day he feared he might have done something to get the Lady Kibi in trouble Phichit understood he needed to work even harder to keep his friends happiness secured. 

~

Maya looks at Elisabetha showing off the wonderful gift she had been sent by Xiulan. 

“She is so very considerate, even if due to her ingrained sense of duty this is all she can do for us.” 

Elisabetha puts the small presents back in the box it arrived in. Her fingers grace her former lovers handwriting, even if it is Maya's name that is listed. She straightens her shoulders.

“Again my thanks for willing to do this for me. I seem to be more and more indebted to you.” Liza chuckles softly. “And there's still no way I can convince you to spill the beans on Yuuri, now can I?” 

Maya shakes her head. “Phichit and I have always stood by our rules. We do not converse about those we hold dear behind their back as we would not appreciate it if done to us.” 

“An honorable rule indeed, infuriating but most definitely honorable.” Liza slumps down in a very un-royal like manner. “I know you to be on our side, if only.” She shakes her head. “No use thinking in If's and maybe's. We have some things to organize.” 

“Do not worry. I can only thank you for this schedule.” Maya looks at the large piece of paper that contains nearly all events that were already planned for once the candidates were chosen. The only thing she did not like was that she just simply would not have enough hours in the day to do everything she needed. 

Liza nods. “I figured, so I managed to convince the council, well honestly it were Stasia and Katya that convinced them, to allow you sewing assistance. They should arrive her tomorrow and that would be enough time for you to finish the first part of it all before Friday.” 

~

The next day Maya found over twenty young men and women eager to make her designs a reality. After telling them the next day what she wanted them to do, Maya actually found herself with time left on her hands. Not a thing that happens very often as she like her brother are not that good in simply doing nothing. 

So she starts to make the bracelets her mother had taught all her children. Blue ones to indicate love, red for desire, yellow to show compassion, and whites for friendship. Then she started to look for more strings, it was during one of those trips she bumped into the youngest Nikiforov and his playmates.

“What are you doing miss Maya?” Prince Petrov looks at the amount of strings she is holding. 

“I'm braiding friendship bracelets. With the amount of help your sisters got for me I found myself without anything to do. And as we Chulanonts are not ones for having Idle hands I decided to put them at work.” 

The young boy looks at the bracelets she's already sporting before a look graces his features that is far to calculative and mature for one of his age. 

“Can we join you? We are to make scarce today and this seems like a good thing to keep us all out of harms way. Plus we might have use for bracelets like those.” 

At some point between showing them how to make all the different patterns she ends up telling the young Prince exactly what each and every color means. She even explains him why certain patterns should not be mixed with certain colors. The boy listens to them ever so eager and in the end manages to make several very beautiful pieces. Gifting one to the young Aino even. 

~

The sixth day is a downright horror for Phichit. He found the Nihon scribe going through some of his papers when he had slipped out to visit the toilet and he had claimed he had simply tried to look up a note. Phichit had scoffed him and stated that even if he could read Thai, which he doubted, he always made certain his notes were in his own personal shorthand. 

After all, like any good emissary or diplomat, it would be very silly to leave any possible viable information just lying around for prying eyes to see. The scribe had huffed his chest and bolted away. 

Thinking that was the end of things he had gone over his notes of the two meetings he had been permitted to attend, only to find his workstation darkened by the shadow of a Nihon guard who had ordered him to follow immediately. 

So when he found himself standing before the Princes Naozane and Kintsune, both in different ways asking him what he had to hide that he had felt to leave his notes undisclosed with the scribe. Prince Naozane had been simply unmannered and had it not been for Prince Kintsune's understanding of his explanation he was certain that he would have found himself sent back home. 

He bumped into Claus after that, who had pulled Phichit aside, telling him of his fortunate luck that one of the Rus kitchen aids had seen his potential and had agreed on marrying him. The young man had looked simply delighted, and upon meeting the young man that had agreed to this union Phichit could do nothing else but raise a glass to celebrate their decision. 

And maybe due to frustration that glass had become two, or even four. At one point there looked to be over a dozen but as the table refused to stand still Phichit found himself forced to give up his attempt to count them. He bid his farewell to Claus and Vaslav deciding to take a walk around the gardens to sober up a bit. 

When he spots Yuuri on his way through them he decides to share the good news with his friend. After all it seems it is the moment to make all the love come to fruition. 

Spotting the bracelet on his wrist and knowing the significance of both the blue colors together with the knots used, he just jumps on his back and hugs him for all that it is worth. Luckily Yuuri can tell what state he is in and takes him to their shared room. 

Phichit nearly forgets all decorum when it's Yuuri's name that gets called as the third candidate. He is so happy that even though he knows better he still gives his friend two thumbs up once Mari finally nudged him into motion. His best friend is gonna have the love he deserves.

~

Maya looks at the pieces of fabric scattered around her temporary studio, she has only a short amount of time to make an outfit for Yuuri that will show his natural grace and his ingrained worth. The House of Nihon might not be for it but she will be damned if Yuuri is not presented tomorrow in a creation that will be Emperor Consort worthy. 

She has the outfit delivered to his rooms just after the sun wakes, and she makes Phichit promise to get her a recording of the ceremony for she is not wrong in believing she would sleep right through it. Being only slightly sad she missed the reveal of the courting gift he had given Victor. 

She wakes barely in time to rush to his room and to get his next outfit together, she's just happy Phichit had made her make it in advance as he has apparently been planning on getting Yuuri to be less in the background all along. 

~

Phichit had tried to get close to where they took Yuuri after the impromptu fencing match, but he's kept at a distance. If it had not been by his own sister and Liza he would have been suspicious. Being told that as his roommate he would be quarantined for some time to be certain he was not infected as well, well that had just been annoying. 

When Constantin had offered to share his room he had kept his guard up. Which turned out the right decision when he was offered a simple deal. For as simple as keeping an enormous secret from your best friend is. But being told why Victor had failed to recognize Yuuri had been a nice bonus. 

~

Maya looks at the telegram delivered to her room by one of the Rus attendants. She knows that once their mother starts sending those no amount of detours could escape her. She looked at the two simple words on it. She doubts either the one typing it out or any of the ones delivering it to her would understand the dept of motherly command were listed.

Phichit walks into her room being called over, when she shows him the message when he greets her his shoulders drop immediately.

“Well you were supposed to be home weeks ago, so I guess it can't be helped.” He looks up. “I will miss you, it was fun having you around.” 

Maya hugs him tightly. “Likewise brother, it was fun being in the same part of the world again. We must try to do that more often.” Phichit simply snickers and hugs back.

~

Without Maya around Phichit finds himself in the company of Constantin more often. The young man has a way around the Palace and into places that is simply admirable. Not to mention that as he is the one usually sent to retrieve items by his siblings, for they know and respect his ability to move about quickly, most people from Nihon see him as nothing more than a servant. Practically invisible. 

It is also Constantin who keeps him up to date with all the heart affairs going around and even helps him to send out a message to Nihon when it becomes clear they do not have enough material for the ceremony. 

“I'm certain they will jump their skin once they see what we have been doing behind their backs.” Kostya grins at Phichit. “Are you certain they are not missing you?” 

Phichit shakes his head. “After that incident with their scribe and Claus leaving to go back home I have become nearly invisible to them. So I can hardly wait.” 

Both of them start laughing, sharing stories about how it is growing up in a large family. 

So at first when Yuuri tells him about the kiss he and Victor shared he is just delighted that he can inform his friend that everything is going to plan. Hearing that the Nihon council is still telling Yuuri in several ways that he would eventually not be allowed to take the final step infuriates him. 

He is left to stew when they call for Yuuri to see the council, wishing he could go along and give them all a firm piece of his mind. He sends a message out to Constantin, only to receive a message back that due to the proper temperature all of the Nikiforovs have taken the afternoon to go to the pond in the atrium. 

The moment Yuuri comes back, showing the scroll that makes him a lord, Phichit decides they too should go and spend time near the pond. Upon arrival it becomes quite clear that some crucial piece of information was left out. Not that Phichit minds, he had wondered how he would be able to make Yuuri have a look at Victor's body, and having the man walk towards them as naked as the day he was born was all the doctor ordered.

~

The next morning at breakfast neither Yuuri or Victor are present to join them all in the grand celebration of having his friend elevated into Lord hood. Poorly Phichit also doesn't feel like celebrating anymore after he had been told by Tanya exactly why Yuuri becoming a lord was actually a very bad turn of events. 

After all, with Victor no longer being a Crown Prince Yuuri had the higher title. This meant that if the council wanted to they could order Victor to move to Nihon with Yuuri so that the latter could do his duties to his title. And surely they would insist on it being the need to provide an heir to the bloodline. 

Finding Yuuri all wrapped up in his blankets upon his return, going on and on over that he did what needed to be done, well he found the death of fear settle in his chest. 

Phichit had never before gone around to find out exactly what had happened and when he found out the events that took place while the rest of them had been holed up by breakfast he is the first to find a sliver of hope. 

Princess Anastasia scowls at him. “Why are you grinning. He has hurt my brother, I should go over their and personally pull his skin off of him. Do not think I can't, I have once fought a bear and won, this is nothing. Prince Kintsune puts his arm around her and starts telling her soothing words that seem to have effect. 

“I am smiling because no one saw you take Victor in, all were to busy celebrating Yuuri's new Title, and it just dawned to me that Yuuri must have been outside to await the end of breakfast before telling the council.” He looks at the grim faces around him.

“What do you mean?” Kibi leans forward, holding Liza's hand in her own. 

“It means that only the people in this room know, and we have all proven to be capable of keeping our mouths shut.” He smiles widens. “It is time to bring Yuuri up to date why dumping Victor is the dumbest thing he could do.”

“So you want us to tell him?” Stasya leans forward, looming into his personal space.

“No,” Phichit shakes his head, “we aren't. Victor is. Tonight. Over Dinner. In St-Petersburg.” 

The phone call he gets from Yuuri that evening is nerve wrecking. After everything that happened, surely he did not mess it up at the last moment after all. 

The driver that takes him to the address Yuuri told him to meet shares his hopes, seeing that among the people most believe Yuuri to be the one their Vitya will ask the hand of. The support feels simply fantastic, something he hopes he could convince Yuuri of.

That is till he steps out at the right address. 

A fancy jeweler and a nervous Best friend at a certain display case tells him all he needs to know.

“They will never allow me to accept his proposal for marriage, but I went over everything they told me. They never forbid me to ask him instead.” Yuuri looks at him with a cheeky smile. “I assume you will be able to keep this a secret right?” 

~

Snatching Yuuri away from Victor before the designated time of their dance felt good. Knowing it's the last time he will dance with his best friend before he is a married man almost emotional. 

“This might sound weird but I wish we could have something like this for longer. I'm going to be so bored without you around all the time.” Phichit grins. “If I could I would shrink myself and sneak along for your honeymoon.” 

Yuuri simply laughs. “Now that would be interesting. But I fear that we wouldn't even have one. Do not forget in the end this marriage is the backbone of the treaty. It will be more than likely we will have to go places to prove it is as solid as everyone hopes.” 

~

Phichit looks down on his phone. Seeing all the evidence photo's he took of that evening, the wedding the next day, the celebration, the signing, and the departure of most of the retinue, he can't help but feel that the next two weeks in Joseon could never be as adventurous as those four weeks in Rus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story continues in Given Path chapter 1/4: Wednesday November 21st; Bright lights over Joseon.  
> Followed by Taken Path Chapter 1/3: Friday November 30th; Lucerne Get-a-Way  
> And a Grand Finale on December 7th as that is my birthday. :}  
> But first;  
> Happy Ever After extra story 3: Friday November 16; A Froggy Ever After (a Georgi and Mila story)  
> Happy Ever After extra story 4: Monday November 19; The blessed Ladies of Nihon (a Hina and Sakura story)

**Author's Note:**

> This story continues in Given Path chapter 1: Wednesday November 21st; Bright lights over Joseon.  
> But first;  
> Happy Ever After extra story 2 part 2: Thursday November 15; The Chulanont Conundrum; And have the lights go flashing.  
> Happy Ever After extra story 3: Friday November 16; A Froggy Ever After (a Georgi and Mila story)  
> Happy Ever After extra story 4: Monday November 19; The blessed Ladies of Nihon (a Hina and Sakura story)


End file.
